Former Yankee Kenny Lofton & His Curse

I’ve mentioned this before – but, it’s worth another look…

Have you ever heard of the “Curse of Kenny Lofton” as detailed by Tom Verducci back on October 18, 2006? Via Verducci, back then, here’s a list of teams that Lofton was on and what happened when they reached the post-season:

1995 Indians: Only team to lose a World Series clincher on a one-hitter.

1996 Indians: Lost two games in the ALDS with leads in the eighth and ninth innings.

1997 Braves: Lost to wild-card Marlins in six NLCS games, including the Eric Gregg game, in which Livan Hernandez capitalized on the umpire’s huge strike zone.

1998 Indians: Blew a 2-1 ALCS lead, losing three straight to the Yankees.

1999 Indians: Blew a 2-0 ALDS lead, losing three straight to Boston.

2001 Indians: Blew a 2-1 ALDS lead to Seattle, losing two straight.

2002 Giants: Blew a 3-2 World Series lead to Anaheim, including a 5-0 lead in the seventh inning of Game 6, losing two straight.

2003 Cubs: Blew a 3-1 NLCS lead to Florida, including a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning of the infamous Game 6 Bartman Game, losing three straight.

2004 Yankees: Blew a 3-0 ALCS lead to Boston, the first team in history to lose four straight games needing only one win to advance.

2006 Dodgers: Swept by Mets in NLDS.

And, it gets worse, because, as we know now, Lofton was on the 2007 Indians and Cleveland blew a 3-1 game ALCS lead – losing three straight to the Red Sox (to close out the series).

Yikes! Just look at those choke jobs in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007. That’s incredible.

You know, the Rays, this spring, reportedly had an interest in signing Kenny Lofton. Betcha they’re glad that didn’t happen.

And, looking back at all this now, I wish that George Steinbrenner had never signed Lofton the day before Christmas Eve in 2003.

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